Well, I am glad you guys got your books - especially since I am planning to read John's copy when he is through with it - but I just went to Amazon.com to look for something else and was told

"our Books, Music, Video, Toys, and Electronics stores are closed temporarily. We expect to be back soon. If you would like to be notified when we reopen, please leave your e-mail address below and we will be happy to let you know. "

I'd say it is more than a temporary glitch if they post that elaborate a notice.

>> I'd say it is more than a temporary glitch if they post that elaborate a notice.

Not necessarily. Any large site like that, that services a big customer base, must have a boilerplate message ready to post when they have to take the site down. And they would have to, from time to time, however briefly, to install any new element (graphic, link, procedure, whatever).

I've encountered periodic "unavailable" messages at most of the ordering sites I visit with any frequency.

Two posts in one day. This will never do!Just to say I got a free trip to London yesterday courtesy of the company and as usual, when the meeting was over I headed to Charing Cross Road where I found the following Barbara Paul books:Jack Be QuickKing of Misrule (King Sauerkraut)Pillars of Salt.The last two being second hand copies. I am particularly looking forward to Pillars of Salt as I am a sucker for time travel stories.

>>I am particularly looking forward to Pillars of Salt as I am a sucker for time travel stories.<<

You and me both, Sue. Hope you enjoy it.

I just came across a series of time travel novels, written by Joshua Dann. The one I read is called A Time for War and is set in London during World War II. Evidently each book goes to a different time period and then stays there until the story is complete -- in contrast to Pillars of Salt which hops around from era to era. (It was only my second book, and I was still trying to pack everything into the story I could think of.)

Barbara - How dare you write such compulsive stories. I never get any work done once I start one! I read 'Jack Be Quick' and started 'Pillars of Salt' over the weekend. My favourites in 'Jack' were 'Diogenes' and 'The Favour' but I did enjoy them all.Re; 'Pillars of Salt', may I ask what your prejudices towards Science Fiction were and what the story was your son persuaded you to read?

Heh. My prejudice against science fiction came from simple ignorance. All I knew of the field was based on those shlocky low-budget movies Hollywood ground out in the pre-2001: A Space Odyssey days. In bookstores I'd look at the lurid cover art on the SF novels and the trashy magazine covers and think, "Oh, puh-leeze." So I'd never actually read any of the stuff; although I should have known better, I was judging the book by its cover.

It was a collection of short stories by Robert Sheckley that my son handed me. A good choice; Sheckley's low-tech approach was just right for someone like me. Back before he lost his gifts, Sheckley was writing a wry, knowing sort of fiction -- and I just ate it up. I read everything of his I could get my hands on, and that eventually led me to other (and even better) writers. Once I realized what I'd been missing, I did a lot of catch-up reading -- and I mean a lot.